The Natrona County Public Library is about two percentage points away from a new building, according to a Casper Star-Tribune poll conducted last week.

Thirteen percent of people said if they cast a vote that day, they were still undecided, while 48 percent favored the proposal and 39 percent said they were against it.

The library is asking voters to approve a $43.25 million proposal to buy new land and build a facility roughly three times the size of the current library. If approved on Nov. 4, the money will come from a temporary sixth-cent sales tax. It will take about 27 months before the funds accumulate and the penny tax ends.

Lynn Miner, one of the Natrona County residents polled, said that even though she believes the library needs a new building, she doesn't think the burden for building the facility should fall on county taxpayers.

"I don't believe that the state should be in the business of having billions and billions of dollars in savings accounts when that money is supposed to be used for people," she said. "People are so taxed now they can hardly afford to live."

The poll was conducted Oct. 13-15 by Washington-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. It surveyed 400 people in Natrona County by telephone, and the results carry a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

The measure will pass on Nov. 4 if more than 50 percent of those who vote on the project approve the proposal.

Natrona County Public Library Executive Director Bill Nelson said he hasn't been involved in the political action committee that is organizing the push for the proposal but thinks there is visibility for the project in the community.

"I would hope that the majority of voters would see the need for a new library and would be committed to improving our community for the future," he said.

More women than men supported the project. Forty-two percent of the men polled versus 54 percent of the women said they would vote for the penny tax. Additionally, 57 percent of Democrats, 45 percent of Republicans and 44 percent of independents were in favor of the tax.

Casper resident Estella Vrooman fully supports a new library. She thinks nothing is more important to young people than reading.

"I remember when I learned to read it was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me," she said. "I am still a reader, and my daughter and I spend a lot of time at the library here."

The library needs room to grow, she said.

Greg Renton, on the other hand, said he does not support this tax and never supports taxes.

"I am definitely voting 'no' because those kinds of taxes never go away," he said. "They will have to find their money somewhere else."

Renton, the president of Survey Rental Inc., said he didn't know if there was anything wrong with the old building.

Nelson cites four main reasons for a new library, including new meeting rooms, more specialty rooms, increased youth services and parking.

The current building is landlocked on 1.5 acres, which is why library officials hope to move to an 8.8-acre parcel near the North Platte River, First Street and downtown Casper.

Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com.

* There will be informational meetings about the library project at 7 p.m. today and Oct. 29 in the Natrona County Public Library, and 7 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Mills library and Oct. 23 in Edgerton.

* Also, visit www.natronacountylibrary.org.]]->